Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold or room-temperature water for many hours, then served over ice. Iced coffee is regular hot coffee that you chill. Pick cold brew if you want a smooth, mellow glass and can plan a day ahead. Pick iced coffee if you want it in ten minutes and want the coffee to keep its flavor notes. For a single bag that works either way, we would reach for No. 3 Position.
What is the actual difference?
The difference is the water temperature and the clock. Cold brew trades heat for time. Iced coffee uses heat and then cools the result fast so it does not go flat. Both end up cold in a glass, but they are different drinks.
| Cold brew | Iced coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Cold or room temperature | Hot, then chilled |
| Time | Overnight, usually 12 hours or more | About the length of a normal brew |
| Grind | Coarse | Your usual grind for the method |
| Cup character | Round and mellow, flavors sit in the background | Closer to hot coffee, flavors stay up front |
| Planning | Start the night before | None, make it when you want it |
| Keeps in the fridge | A few days as a concentrate | Best the same day |
Those are general habits, not rules. Plenty of people make both and keep whichever one they reach for more often.
Which one should you make on a busy morning?
Iced coffee. You brew hot, as usual, with a stronger recipe because ice will melt into the glass. A simple way to do that is to brew a normal pot and pour it over a full glass of ice, or to use less water for the same amount of coffee. Cold brew only wins on a busy morning if you made it the night before, which is the real reason people love it: the work is done when you wake up.
If you want the full cold brew method with ratios, we already wrote it up. Read our guide to the best coffee for cold brew and come back here for the choice between the two.
Which of our coffees fits each side?
Here is what the labels say, side by side. We only describe what the roaster prints on the bag.
| Coffee | Label notes | What the label says it is for |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Common Sense | Cocoa, red apple, brown sugar | The cup you make every morning without thinking about it. Takes milk without falling apart. |
| No. 2 Good Sense | Milk chocolate, fruit, caramel | The slow first cup. Drink it black, because a natural Ethiopia goes to fruit and milk buries it. |
| No. 3 Position | Dark chocolate, dried fruit, earthy | Espresso, moka and anything with milk. Holds its shape under milk and under ice. |
That last line is the useful one. The label for Position says it holds its shape under ice, so it is our pick for either drink. If you take your iced coffee black and like fruit, Good Sense is the one to try over ice without milk. If you pour milk into everything, Common Sense and Position both take it. We have not printed a cold brew recipe on any of our labels, so treat the choice as a taste match and not a promise.
Our pick
No. 3 Position
Aceh, Takengon, Indonesia · 1,100 to 1,600 m · Wet-hulled (giling basah) · Tim Tim, Typica, Ateng, Onan Ganjang, Jember
Dark chocolate, dried fruit and earthy notes, and a label that says it holds its shape under milk and under ice.
How much does the ice change the recipe?
A lot, and it is where most iced coffee goes wrong. Ice is water, and as it melts it thins the glass. There are two easy ways around that. Brew a stronger batch, for example 70 g of coffee per litre of water instead of 60 g, and pour it over ice. Or make the coffee in the usual way, let it cool, and keep it in the fridge for a few hours before you pour it. The second method gives you a glass that stays strong for longer, since less ice has to melt to cool it down.
For cold brew the same logic runs the other way. Because the water never gets hot, the coffee pulls out more slowly, so the recipe uses more coffee and a longer wait. Most people make a concentrate and add water or milk at the glass, which is why a jar of it lasts several days.
One practical note: a coarse grind matters for cold brew, since a long steep with fine coffee leaves a muddy, over-pulled glass. If you only have ground coffee, use a paper filter and shorten the steep.
How do you decide, in one question?
Ask yourself when you want the coffee. If the answer is "right now," make iced coffee. If the answer is "tomorrow morning, without effort," make cold brew tonight. You do not have to choose forever. A jar of cold brew in the fridge for the weekdays and a quick iced coffee when you forgot to plan is a perfectly normal setup.
If you like a coffee enough to keep it on hand, the subscription sends a bag on your schedule at 11% off, and you can skip or cancel in one click. Every coffee is $28 for 12 oz, whole bean or ground, with free shipping in the US, and you can see all ten coffees in one place.
Whichever glass you choose, start with a coffee you already like hot.
Questions people ask
Is cold brew stronger than iced coffee?
It depends on the recipe. Cold brew is often made as a concentrate and then diluted, so it can be strong in the jar and mild in the glass. Iced coffee is as strong as you brew it. If you want a strong glass either way, use more coffee per cup of water, not less.
Can I make cold brew with any of your coffees?
Yes, any whole bean coffee can be steeped cold. We have not printed a cold brew recipe on our labels, so pick by taste. Our guide to the best coffee for cold brew goes through what to look for.
How do I keep iced coffee from tasting watery?
Brew it stronger than usual and pour it over plenty of ice, or freeze some leftover coffee into cubes so the glass does not dilute as it melts.
Free printable
Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
One page with grams, level tablespoons and scoops for every cup size and for coffee makers from 2 to 14 cups. Leave your email and the download link appears right here.